World of Babies

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VOICE ONE:

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA, in VOA Special English. I'm Faith
Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember. This week on our program, we explore the
world of babies.

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VOICE ONE:

About four million babies are born
each year in the United States. Some mothers give birth at home. But
most babies are born in hospitals or birthing centers.

Traditionally, new parents might have read a book or two about
babies. But most of their advice probably came from their own
parents.

VOICE TWO:

Today the newest, and smallest, Americans are at the heart of
many industries. Some needs are still the same. Babies still need
diapers to cover their bottoms. But diapers are just one thing on
the shopping list.

Babies and young children are big business. They have many needs,
judging by one book from Parents Magazine. The book is called
"Parents Baby Gear: Everything You Need to Clothe, Feed, Transport,
Protect, Entertain and Care for Your Baby from Birth to Age Three."

There is enough advice to fill more than one hundred seventy
pages, from the right clothes to the right toys to the right car
safety seats. There is even advice about how to choose a
three-wheeled bicycle.

VOICE ONE:

Parents now have more choices of equipment to help keep their
child safe. One example is the baby monitor. This device lets a
parent listen to a child sleeping or playing in another part of the
house.

Another example is the automobile safety seat. In the past,
babies often rode in the arms of adults. Or they wore adult seat
belts.

Now, all fifty states require that babies under eighteen months
of age ride in safety seats to protect them. Some states require
special seats for children up to a few years old.

There are booster seats for older
children who are still not big enough to wear seat belts.

Safety seats have reduced the number of children killed or
injured in road accidents. But special care is needed to make sure
that the safety seat is placed correctly in a vehicle.

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VOICE TWO:

There is no shortage of advice about pregnancy and raising
children. Radio and television programs and Web sites provide all
kinds of advice. There are many books, magazines and videos. Parents
can get suggestions from publications with names like "Parents,"
"Parent and Child," "Parenting" and "Exceptional Parenting."

A number of magazines in the United States began as small
publications created at home by mothers. These women wanted to share
information about having and raising children.

VOICE ONE:

Two teachers from the Washington, D.C., area started one such a
publication in nineteen eighty-two. Deborah Benke and Ann Byrne each
had young children at the time. They and some friends produced the
first copies of Washington Parent from their homes.

Educators, doctors and mental health experts wrote stories about
caring for babies and children. Each month, someone produced a list
of local events of interest to families. Soon libraries and stores
asked for copies. So did doctors offices and hospitals.

Over time, Washington Parent kept growing. Today, this
publication started by friends is thick with stories, color pictures
and advertisements.

VOICE TWO:

Not all publications for parents were started by mothers. In
nineteen seventy-nine, Jack Bierman became interested in
establishing a parents magazine for the Los Angeles area. At the
time, Mister Bierman was studying journalism and heading a college
newspaper. He was not a father yet. But he said friends with
children showed him how hard it was for parents to get important
safety advice.

The next year, he and other writers started a publication. It was
called Pony Ride: The Magazine for Parents in Southern California.
It started small. It had just eleven pages. Mister Bierman had ten
thousand copies published. He and his other writers took copies to
libraries, stores and offices of children's doctors.

But there were still copies left. So Jack Bierman placed the
remaining ones on cars. He knew that many of the cars belonged to
parents. How did he know? He chose the parking area of the Los
Angeles Zoo.

VOICE ONE:

In nineteen eighty-three, Pony Ride was renamed. It took a more
businesslike name: L.A. Parent. Two years later, Mister Bierman and
other publishers established a trade group, Parenting Publications
of America.

More than one hundred local publications in the United States,
Canada and Australia belong to this organization. The group brings
publishers together to develop guidelines for their industry. Jack
Bierman also created an organization that offers suggestions about
children's products.

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VOICE TWO:

Children also have lots they can read. The Children's Book
Council, a trade group, says four thousand to five thousand new
children's books are published in the United States each year. These
include picture books and young adult literature, and everything in
between.

Two books that have been popular for many years are "Pat the
Bunny" and "Goodnight Moon." "Pat the Bunny," by Dorothy Kunhardt,
contains soft material that feels like a real rabbit.

A rabbit also stars in "Goodnight Moon," by Margaret Wise Brown.
The rabbit is in bed. Before it goes to sleep, it says good night
its room, the moon and more...

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VOICE ONE:

In many homes, books compete for time with electronics. Even
children too young for school often play computer games. Some games
are designed to be educational. Some parents also buy videos like
the "Baby Einstein" series.

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This German nursery rhyme is from a language video in the "Baby
Einstein" series.

But Americans are still buying many traditional toys for their
children.

The Toy Industry Association says dolls topped the popularity
list of traditional toys in two thousand three. Then came toys for
babies and children under school age. Arts, crafts, games, puzzles
and sports and outdoor toys followed.

VOICE TWO:

Parents can choose to spend a lot of money on toys. Two little
girls who live in Virginia are proof that children often like the
simplest things best.

Daisy Bracken is two years old. She plays with dolls and likes to
throw balls. Fiona McMichael is three. She likes to pull her wagon
around. She fills it with other toys.

Then there is one-year-old Benjamin Watson of Encino, California.
One of his favorite toys is very soft, but a lot bigger than him.
Benjamin likes to play with the family dog, a yellow Labrador
retriever named Crouton.

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VOICE ONE:

Our program was written by Benjamin's grandmother, also known as
Jerilyn Watson. Caty Weaver was our producer. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

Before we go, a correction to our program last week on books
about the immigrant experience: We said that Sandra Cisneros was the
only one of the four writers we talked about who was born in the
United States. So was Francisco Goldman, although he also lived in
Guatemala as a child.

I'm Steve Ember. Join us again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in
VOA Special English.